Drier.



C. C. BAILEY & C. 0. PUTNAM.

DRIER.

APPLiCATlON FILED MAY 10. 1917.

hmw wm Patented 1060.4,1917.

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DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIO, I917 3 SHEETSSHEET Z.

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DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I0, 191] Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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CULBEBSOIN G. BAILEY AND CHARLES 0. PUTNAM, 0F KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

DRIER.

Patented Dec. 4, I917.

Application filed May 10, 1917. Serial No. 167,710.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CULBnRsoN C. BAILEY and CHARLES O. PUTNAM, citizens of the United States, residing t Kalamazoo, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in drier-s.

Our improvements are especially designed by us for embodiment in driers for coated paper, although desirable and readily adapted for use in driers of this class designed for other purposes.

The main objects of our invention are:

First, to provide in a drier of the loop conveyer type means whereby the poles or supporting bars are automatically returned o the mechanism for feeding the poles to the receiving end of the drier.

Second, to provide means whereby the poles or bars discharged from the delivery end of a drier of this type may be automati cally returned as above indicated or discharged into a receiving receptacle.

Further objects and objects relating to details and economies of construction and operation will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

We accomplish the objects of our invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure constituting a preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which: Figure I is an elevation of a drier of wellknown construction having our improved pole or bar return mechanism embodied therein, only such portions of the mechanism as are deemed essential to an understanding of our invention being illustrated.

Fig. II is a detail plan of the mechanism shown in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a detail section showing details of the return mechanism, taken on line corresponding to line 33 of Figs. I and II.

Fig. IV is an enlarged detail section taken on a line corresponding to line -l4l of Figs. I and II, showing the receiving receptacle for the poles when they are not to be returned o the receiving end. of a dri r a d the means for delivering the poles into this receptacle.

Fig. V is an enlarged detail section taken on a line corresponding to line 55 of Fig. III.

Fig. VI is an enlarged detail section taken on a line corresponding to line 66 of Fig. VII, showing details of the construction of the hopper which receives the poles from the inclined way and discharges them into the upper end of the feed chute.

Fig. -VII is an enlarged detail section taken on a line corresponding to line 7-7 of Figs. I and II.

Fig. VIII is an enlarged detail section taken on. a line corresponding to line 88 of Figs. II and VII, showing details of the pole delivery means. 7

Fig. IX is an enlarged detail section taken on a line corresponding to line 9-9 of Fig. VII, showin details of the feed chute.

Fig. X is an en arged detail section taken on a line corresponding to line 10-10 of Figs. VII and IX.

In the drawings similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

As stated above this invention relates to driers of the looping type in which the paper or fabric to be dried is delivered to and hangs in loops from a plurality of spaced drying poles or bars which are successively delivered in position to receive the loops of the material to be dried, the poles being conveyed along guideways by means of sprocket chains or other similar expedients. As will be understood by those skilled in this art, the guideways for these drying poles are usually arranged in a horizontal loop so that the delivery end of the drier is adjacent to th ceiving endL thereof. Since this feature of the drier to which our invention relates is known, it has been deemed unnecessary to illustrate more than the receiving and delivering ends of a drier inasmuch as these are the only portions thereof with which our invention is concerned.

Referring to the drawing, the reference characters 1 indicate the supporting posts or uprights for the adjacent ends of the guideways of a drier. The guideways 3 for the drying poles are mounted on these I passes while the drying poles 8 roll down the dischargechute grooves 9 which discharges the poles either into the f'SlIlHOIlS branch grooves 10 or similar branch grooves 11 depending upon the position of the switch 12, as will be clearly understood. The branch grooves 1-0 and 11 are formed in the strips 13 which are secured to the support-posts 1, as shown in Figs. I, 111 and IV. The branch grooves 10 discharge the poles into the receptacle 14 from which they may be manually removed and placed in the feed chute as will be described later. The branch grooves '11 guide the ends of the poles in their descent to the inclined delivery way 15. While the inclination of this way will usually be suflicient to insure the poles passing therealong, still, if it is found desirable, or necessary, we provide additional means for conveying the poles along the said way. This means comprises the friction rolls 16 the peripheries of which are conformed to the curved contour of the way 15 and which are adapted to engage the sides of the poles to urge them along the way These rollers are driven by the sprockets 17 connected by the sprocket chain 18. A driving sprocket 19 is secured to one of the said rollers 16 and is driven by the sprocket chain 20. The sprocket chain 20'is driven by a sprocketon theshaft 21 which rotates in the bearing 22 and carries at its outer end a bevel gear 28 that meshes with a beveled gear 24 on a shaft 25 supported by bearings '26. The outer end of the shaft 25 is provided with a sprocket 27 and connected with the driving sprocket 27 on the roller 7 by means 0f the sprocket chain 28.

Beneath the receiving end of the drier we support a hopper 29 into the upper end of which the delivery way 15 discharges the drying poles. The lower end of the hopper discharges into the feed chute which conveys the poles to a position where they may be engaged by the flights 30 of "the upwardly inclined feed conveyer 31. The latter conveyer carries the poles to a position where they are engaged by the flights 4 of the drier conveyer in a manner known by those skilled in this art.

If the delivery way 15 merely discharged the poles into the hopper '29 the forn' ard ends of the poles would tip downwardly as soon as the poles were discharged from the delivery way, a distance 'reater than half of their length. This dillieulty might be obviated by providing the way 15 with a cover, or means, which would prevent the rear ends of the poles from tipping upwardly, but these means would produce so much frictional resistance as to impede the progress of the pole through the way 15. In order to prevent the downward tilting of the forward end of the pole, we provide a. yielding support above the top of the hopper which receives the pole and holds it in alinement with the way 15 until the pole is completely discharged therefrom. This means comprises a pair of opposed support members 82 which are pivoted on rods 133, the opposite ends of which are secured in brackets 3% secured to the upper edges of the hopper 29, as shown in Fig. VIII. The support members 32 may be adjusted along the rods 33 and secured in their adjusted position by means of the collars and the set-screw 86. The rear ends of the support members are eounterbalanced by means of the adjustable counter-balances 37 and the outer ends thereof are prevented from tilting downwardly by means of the brackets 38.

To prevent the rear ends of the poles from tipping upwardly when they clear the end of the way 15 we provide the way with an extension 15 :having a retainer 15 that holds the rear ends of the poles until they are discharged from the yielding supporting means.

At the end of the hopper opposite the inclined way 15, we provide a downwardly and outwardly inclined buifer 40 against 'which the forward ends of the poles strike,

thereby wedging them (lOYYllYflldlY and causing the :inner end of the support members 32 to tilt downwardly and permit the poles to pass therebetween. By 1116:1113 of the mechanism just described the poles are delivered to the upper end of the feed-chute in a substantially horizontal position.

In order to permit the poles to be fed to the upper end of the feed chute manually, We hinge one side 29 of the hopper to the upper end of the feed chute as indicated at 41 and provide latches 4-2 for holding the upper end of this side of the hopper in its closed position.

.l Ill The feed chute comprises the opposed T guidewa'ys formed by the members 42-) and 48 which are spaced apart by the inwardly inclined end guides 44.. as shown in Fig. X. The positioning stops 4-5 are adjustably secured to the lower sides of the mem- .L"

inner ends of the support members 32 and continue to slide across the hopper until the rear ends of the poles clear the side of the hopper into which the delivery way discharges. At this point the forward ends of the poles strike the beveled buffer 40 deflecting the ends of the pole downwardly and causing the inner ends of the support members 32 to tilt downwardly thereby permitting the poles to pass through into the hopper. The hopper guides the poles into the upper end of the feed chute which delivers them into position in front of the guides 30 and the feed conveyer 31. The flights 30 deliver the poles into position to be conveyed by the flights 4 of the main conveyer.

If it is desired to prevent the automatic return of the poles to the feed chute, as for instance when the rear end of the drying strip has passed the receiving end of the drier, the switches 12 are thrown to the position shown in dotted outline in Figs III and IV whereby the poles are diverted to the branch grooves 10 and delivered into the receptacle 14L.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof comprising a branched discharge chute at the return end of said conveyer, a switch adapted for adjustment to discharge the poles into either of said branches, an inclined delivery way to which one of said branches delivers, a feed chute, a hopper therefor to which said delivery way delivers, said delivery way being provided with a retainer portion overhanging said hopper, a pair of opposed pivoted support members alined with said way so that the poles are delivered across the same and are supported thereby until the poles are completely delivered into the hopper, said support members being adjustable laterally on their pivots and provided with counter-balances, an inclined buffer for said poles, said supports and buffer being disposed so that when the poles engage the buffer the support members release the poles, means for transferring said poles from said feed chute to the pole conveyer, and a receptacle to which the other of said branches delivers.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof comprising a discharge chute at the return end of said conveyer, an inclined delivery way to which said discharge chute delivers, a feed chute, a hopper therefor to which said delivery way delivers, said delivery way being provided with a retainer portion overhanging said hopper, a pair of opposed pivoted support members alined with said way so that the poles are delivered across the'same and are supported thereby until the poles are completely delivered into the hopper, said support members being adjustable laterally on their pivots and provided with counter-balances, an inclined buffer for said poles, said supports and buffer being disposed so that when the poles engage the buffer the support members release the poles, and means for transferring said poles from said feed chute to the pole conveyer.

8. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof comprising a discharge chute at the return end of said conveyer, an inclined delivery way to which said discharge chute delivers, a feed chute, a hopper therefor to which said delivery way delivers, a pair of opposed pivoted support members alined with said way so that the poles are delivcred across the same and are supported thereby until the poles are completely delivered into the hopper, said support members being adjustable laterally on their pivots and provided with counter-balances, a buffer for said poles, said supports and buffer being disposed so that when the poles engage the buffer the support members release the poles, and means for transferring said poles from said feed chute to the pole conveyer.

4C. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof comprising a discharge chute at the return end of said conveyer, an inclined delivery way to which said discharge chute delivers, a feed chute, a hopper therefor to which said delivery way delivers, a pair of opposed pivoted support members alined with said way so that the poles are delivered across the same and are supported thereby until the poles are completely delivered into the hopper, a buffer for said poles, said supports and buffer being disposed so that when the poles engage the buffer the support memhers release the poles, and means for transferring said poles from said feed chute to the pole conveyer.

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end of said conveyor, an inclined delivery way to which said discharge chute delivers, a feed chute, a hopper therefor to which said delivery way delivers, a pair of opposed yielding support members alined with said way so that the poles are delivered across the same and are supported thereby until the poles are completely deredinto the hopper, and :a buffer for s d poles, said supports and. buffer being disposed so that when the poles engage the buiier the support members release the poles.

'6. In a structure of'the class described, the combination with :a pole conveyer,of means i or transiierring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof comprising a branehed discharge chute at the return end of said conveyer, a switch adapted for adjustment to discharge the poles into either of said branches, :auto- :matic means into which one of said Pbra-nehes discharges for returning the poles .tothe receiving end 'of said conveyer, and a receptacle to which the other of said discharge chutes delivers.

7. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a pole conveyer, means for automatically returning the poles from the delivery :end iof said conveyer to the reoeivingend thereof comprising a chute, and a hopper :for discharging poles into said chute, said hopper being provided with a dcor through which the poles may be manually deposited "8. 1n a structure of the class described, the combination With a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the d-eliveryend 0f said conveyer to the receiving end of said conveyer comprising a discharge chute, an inclined delivery Way to which said discharge chute delivers, a feed chute, a hopper therefor to which said delivery Way delivers, a pairof opposed yielding support members alined with said Way so that the poles are delivered across the same and are supported thereby until the poles are completely delivered into the hop per, and means for causing said support member-"t0 release the poles.

9, A structure'of the class described comprising a pole hopper, an inclined Way dellivering thereto, a pair of coacting yielding support members alined with said way so that the poles are delivered across the same and supported thereby until the poles are completely delivered into the hopper, and a buiffer for said poles, said supports and buffer being disposed so that when the poles engage the buffer the support members release the poles.

10. A structure of the classdescribed comprising a pole delivery Way, a hopper to which said delivery Way delivers the poles endwi'se, a yielding support member disposed so that said poles are delivered across %the same and supported thereby until the poles are-completely delivered into thehopper, and a buffer for said poles, said support and buffer beingdisposed so *that when :the poles engage the buffer the support members release the polesv 11. A structure of the class described comprising a pole delivery way, a hopper to which said delivery way delivers, a yielding support member disposed so that the poles are delivered across the same and are supported thereby until the poles are completely delivered into the hopper, and mians for causing said support member to automatically release the poles when they are so completely delivered.

12. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receivingend thereof comprising a hopper, and an inclined way positioned to discharge poles into said hopper, means for supporting said pdles in 'a substantially horizontal position until completely discharged from said inclined way, comprising yieldable supports, and means for disengaging said poles from said supporting means to allow them todrop into said hopper.

13. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof comprising a hopper, and an inclined way positioned to discharge poles intosaid hopper, means for supporting said poles in a substantially horizontal position until completely discharged from said in alined 'way, and means for disengaging said poles from said supporting means to allow them to drop into said hopper.

14. lin a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of 'D'IQEL'IIS for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof, comprising a hopper, an in clined way for delivering the poles into said hopper, and means for receiving said poles from said inclined way and delivering them into said hopper in a substantially horizontal position.

:15. In a structure of the class described, :the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving endthereof,comprising an inclined n'ay forreceiving the poles from the deli very end ef-said conveyer, an upwardly inclined feed conveyer for conveying the poles to the receiving end of said pole conveyer, means for positioning the poles on said feed conveyer, and means for receiving the poles from said inclined way'and delivering them to said last named means in a substantially horizontal position.

16. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof, comprising an upwardly inclined iced conveyer for feeding the ,poles to the receiving ends of said pole convyer, an inclined Way for receiving the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer, and means for receiving the poles from said inclined Way and discharging them onto said feed conveyer in a substantially horizontal position.

17. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a pole conveyer, of means for transferring the poles from the delivery end of said conveyer to the receiving end thereof, comprising a hopper and an inclined Way positioned to discharge the poles In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands and seal 1n the presence of tWo' Witnesses.

OULBERSON C. BAILEY. [n s.] CHARLES O. PUTNAM. [L.S.]

Witnesses:

MARTHA J. GREGORY, MARGARET L; GLASGOW.

hamlet of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the tlomssloner of Parental, Washington, D. E. 

